The Day of the Octopus

So, here it is, the Day of the Octopuses amigurumi pattern. I hope someone out there gets some use out of it! :)

S U G G E S T E D M A T E R I A L S:

• Worsted weight yarn such as Loops & Threads® Impeccable™ Brights • G/7 4.50MM crochet hook • One (1) pair of 6MM safety eyes (available in many craft stores or online at http://www.crscrafts.com) • Scissors • Yarn needle • Fiberfill stuffing

A B B R E V I A T I O N S:

MC – magic circle (magic loop/magic ring) sc – single crochet(s) hdc – half double crochet stitch inc – increase dec – decrease st(s) – stitch(es) ch – chain *actions in asterisks should be repeated until round completion or to the indicated stopping point in the round* (number in parentheses indicates total number of stitches after

round/row completion) FO – fasten off RND – Round dc - double crochet hdc – half double crochet sl st – slip stitch

T H E P A T T E R N: Work in spirals. Do not join rounds. Use a stitch marker (paper clip, yarn tail, etc) to mark rounds.

This pattern is not intended for beginners. Not that I would’ve ever let that stop me :)

This is a super simplistic pattern, made up of two parts. The main body and the tentacles are worked as one. The second piece is simply a crocheted circle made to attach on the underside of the octopus. If you’d like to leave the octopus unstuffed (the tight nature of amigurumi stitches should be firm enough for the octopus to maintain its shape) then just leave off making the second piece. At the end of the main pattern I’ve included a few variations you can try. If you have particularly “tall” or “short” stitches, you may wish to try out one of these alternatives.

We’ll be working with multiples of 3 for most of this pattern, starting with 6 in a magic circle. Therefore, in the first round, work 1 sc, then increase in the next stitch. Repeat the pattern until you get to the end of round 1. In the next round work 2 separate scs, then increase, repeating around. For the third row work 3 separate scs, then increase, repeating around, etc. Unlike my other patterns, this involves a bit more math, but it’s nothing fancy, especially since the pattern is so simple :)

Although the pattern is not expressly written so, I recommend staggering increases and decreases to avoid ending up with a triangular shape. It’s up to you of course.

Okay! Let’s get started.

M A I N B O D Y / H E A D:

MC 6 RND 1) evenly increase to 9 sts RND 2) evenly increase to 12 sts RND 3) evenly increase to 15 sts RND 4) evenly increase to 18 sts RND 5) evenly increase to 21 sts RNDs 6-10) sc around, maintaining the 21 sts RND 11) decrease evenly to 18 sts RNDs 12-13) sc around, maintaining the 18 sts RND 14) *7sc, dec* (16) RND 15) sc around, maintaining the 16 sts

DO NOT BREAK YARN.

[ALTERNATIVES: Add in or take out some of the rounds on the 21 sts. Want a "shorter" octopus? Instead of working 5 rounds straight, try doing only three. Conversely, for a taller octopus, do a few more rounds. You may also wish to add on a few rounds after round 15.]

We’re now ready to work the tentacles. Each tentacles is worked right from the body, one after another. To start:

Ch 17 Starting in the second ch from hook, work 9 sc, then 7 hdc. Doing so should’ve brought you back to the octopus body. Skip over the next

stitch you see on the body, and slip stitch in the one after it. One tentacle is now complete. Repeat this process around and you will end up with 8 tentacles. (I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures of this process; I worked on this part of the pattern while watching DS9 and didn’t exactly have my camera equipment handy. Heh heh…)

[ALTERNATIVES: Try chaining more or less than the 17 for longer or shorter tentacles. You can also change up the number of scs and hdcs for some more customization.]

Once the last tentacle is finished break the yarn. You may with to leave a long tail for sewing. Attach the eyes and stuff the head/body firmly.

To make the bottom closure:

MC 6 RND 1) *inc* (12) RND 2) *sc, inc* (18) FO.

Turn the octopus upside down an position the closing piece. It is a couple stitches bigger than the bottom of the octopus, so it should curve inward. (See photo). (Problem? If your closing piece isn’t big enough to cover the opening, work a third round as follows: RND 3) *2sc, inc* (24))

Sewing it

Sew the closing piece to the bottom of the octopus. I sewed the closing piece to both the tentacles and the actual body of the octopus. This kept the tentacles from looking like they had “holes” in them. Once you’re done sewing, break the yarn and weave in any loose ends. Done! Be sure to “shape” your octopus. I did this simply by sort of squishing it to look as you see it in the photos.

tDotO by Karissa Cole 2013 2

Disclaimer: Reading this story and making your own small battalion of octopi may or may not result in a day of music-listening and apartment cleaning. Your mileage may vary :)

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**P L E A S E N O T E** This is an original short story and pattern. The selling of any products made as the result of this pattern and/or design is not permitted. Please be sure to credit this blog if ever you share your finished octopus by directing others to this original posting so that they too can benefit. If you have any questions about this policy, or this pattern, please contact me. Thank you!**